Dishonest sellers of foodstuff

The provision of safe food, foolproof security and shelter are the priority tasks of the state. People are entitled to these services for they have paid taxes for them. In developed countries, the taxpayers have their tabs on the government by insisting on accountability, achieved by measuring the quality of services against the taxes paid. But in developing states, such a system is not properly in place.

Food adulteration, a high ratio of street crimes and a lack of shelter are the salient features of many developing economies. In order to ensure provision of safe and healthy food commodities to the masses, the Punjab government established the Punjab Food Authority in 2012 with the mission statement of standardising the quality of everyday foodstuff as per the international standards of food safety. The authority, working in collaboration with shopkeepers and distributers, fixed health standards for all consumable items. The topmost priorities were to keep the purity of milk, meat and wheat in check. The food authority started taking strict action against milkmen and butchers who resorted to dishonest means for selling their goods.

As the government officials took action against the mafia engaged in milk adulteration and in supplying substandard meat, the city witnessed protests by milkmen and butchers in all of November 2014. It was revealed that 40 per cent of the milk being provided in Lahore was adulterated with different chemicals. Mixing of urea fertiliser, formalin, detergent and polluted water was detected. Despite committing blatant crime, the milk producers and suppliers’ association held protest rallies. Protesters demanded that the authority should lower the purity standard of milk. They maintained that the authority should allow the mixing of water in milk as it was “not an adulteration”. This was shocking news for the average user of milk.

Moreover, during the crackdown, thousands of kilogrammes of beef obtained from dead animals were confiscated and mafia members were put behind bars. The supply of impure milk and the meat of dead animals speaks volumes about the level of morality of suppliers and absence of state writ. After the protests, the campaign lost intensity which showed the government had gone on the back foot in dismantling the mafia involved. The government should adopt a no-compromise policy on this issue despite showing leniency.

I think that the quality of food cannot and must not be negotiated even though the prices can be. The people involved in the dirty business of selling shoddy food items should be given exemplary punishment with no compromise on the quality of foodstuff. The consumers should also keep a vigilant eye on people involved in bad business.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2014.